New Delhi: The govt has justified its decision to stop Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai from travelling to London last month for a meeting with British all-party parliamentary group.
Ministry of Home Affairs has told Delhi High Court that UK, US and European Parliament bring out “heavily biased” annual reports on rights violations which could leave India “open to a potential sanction regime”.
The ministry filed an affidavit in the High Court on February 13 stating that such “instruments” had been recently used against Iran, Russia and North Korea by UK where Pillai was heading to attend a British all-party parliamentary group meeting. It said that usage of such instruments by UK had impacted growth rates, well-being and happiness of the citizens of the three countries.
The affidavit filed through an Under Secretary of the Foreigners Division (FCRA Wing) further said, “There are indications that the UK parliament's APPG report on tribal peoples will use Priya Parameswaran Pillai's testimony to rate India at a low level, leaving India open to a potential sanction regime. Unlike at the United Nations, these reports by US, UK and EP do not provide opportunity to the Government of India or the local Embassy/High Commission to record their opinion and are heavily biased against the targeted country,””
In the affidavit, the ministry also pointed towards the low ratings for India in the 2014 reports on religious freedoms issued by the US, UK and European Parliament.
As reported by Indian Express, especially in the UK, APPG's report on Religious freedom, issued in 2014, various alleged violations of religious freedom in India find detailed mention.
MHA further stated that such reports can be used to subdue India's increasing strength on global platforms.
It further states that these have high potential to damage India's growth prospects at a time when India is actively pursuing economic growth and development, which requires foreign direct investment and manufacturing capacity.
The affidavit had claimed that Pillai was travelling with a clear motive of carrying out a campaign against the Government of India in order to impact India's image abroad.
It said that there had been many other prominent Indian activists also who had rather relied on the institutions of India and have protested through several means like dharnas, fasts, marches, trials at the Indian courts, petitions and usage of both Print and electronic media to make their views known. Pillai had also been recommended to follow same or similar routes to voice out her concerns by the Union Ministry.
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